and Mandolin Mondays appearance |
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A roundup of last month's happenings, including a short film for BBC iPlayer and a return to my favourite mandolin series... |
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Last month, I had the pleasure of recording a couple of tunes for a short film for BBC iPlayer. As you can see in the picture, we were in the very moody-looking PQ1, the radio studio at BBC Pacific Quay in Glasgow, for a day of filming. Also featured in the picture is the rustic apple crate I had for a chair - this didn't really appear in the film at all, so it was a numb backside for nothing, though I have since regained feeling. Joined by Rory Matheson (of the bands FARA and TRIP) on piano, I played a rather lang first set of tunes: starting with some North East Strathspeys, Cropie's Strathspey (Peter Milne), and The Marquis of Huntly's Strathspey (William Marshall); into a reel, The Merry Lads of Ayr (John Riddell); and finishing with one of my own tunes called At Very Least. |
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The strathspeys didn't make the cut (🥲) but the other two tunes are there for you to hear. After a very one-sided conversation about my introduction to playing music, and winning the "Young Trad", I sang a solo version of When First I Came to Caledonia, which featured on my 2020 EP, This Ill Deeds. Looking back, one regret I have about the EP is not recording When First I Came to Caledonia solo - just me and the guitar - so it was nice to take this opportunity to present my arrangement of the song in its more basic form. We had a great day, and it was a treat to work with the team at BBC Scotland, who did a fantastic job of the film. Click the button below to watch the whole thing! |
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Rory Matheson at the Steinway at Pacific Quay |
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Onto a film of slightly lower production value now - my appearance on David Benedict's iconic Mandolin Mondays series. Based in South Carolina, David is something of a mandolin influencer (as well as a touring musician with various Bluegrass bands), who produces high-quality instructional and vlog-style videos - as well as interviews and gear reviews - on his YouTube channel. His Mandolin Mondays series - which runs in partnership with MandolinCafe - was started 8 years ago, and is a fantastic resource for discovering different mandolin players from just about every style of music, and every corner of the globe. There have been 170 episodes since my last appearance, and it's quite funny to see how much I have changed musically - and physically - since then! Click the video to see my at-home performance of my tune, Big Pick Energy, and if you want to have a go at learning it for yourself... |
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DOTS! (Sheet music downloads) |
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Occasionally, I'm asked for the sheet music for my tunes by people who want to have a bash at learning them, so I decided to create a page on my website for this. So far, I have added three tunes: Big Pick Energy, At Very Least (both mentioned in this newsletter), and Greta Ross' Birthday. Each one can be downloaded (for free) as a PDF, written in standard notation or standard notation + guitar/mandolin TAB. Why not have a go! Click the button below. |
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1:1 Lessons I currently have some space available for one-to-one lessons, both in person in Glasgow, or from anywhere via zoom. If you'd like a block of guitar or mandolin lessons, or even a one-off for a specific technique or concept, click the button below to head to my contact page, where we can brainstorm further. | | |
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Please buy these CDs... With recording plans on the horizon, I'm trying to get rid of as many of these This Ill Deeds CDEPs from 2020 as I can. If you've not heard it yet and want to help me declutter my flat, click the button below to head over to my Bandcamp page. | | |
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Keep an eye on my website for some exciting gig announcements coming soon Until next time! 👋🏻 |
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